Spring is in the air; this is prime time for bird watching!

Long before there was a York River State Park, or even a York River, 6,000 plus years ago, marine creatures swam here in a shallow sea.

After the iron industry moved away from the area, residents of Fayerdale went from mining to 'shining.

It's feeding time for our ambassador reptiles.  How do we feed our animals?

Hot diggity dog, the Friends of False Cape are having a FUNdraiser!

Fly into the life of a pollinator!

Will you take up the bow and try your hand at the sport of archery?

What will we scoop up this time?

Meet a Ranger at the Visitor Center for a guided hike to see if you can spot any of our springtime birds.

Join us for an immersive adventure!

Go back in time in the historic village of Foster Falls.

As spring unfolds at Natural Tunnel State Park, the forest floor begins to come to life with the vibrant colors that Mother Nature offers.

Explore the Chesapeake Bay through the animals that live in it!

Learn the legend behind the naturally occurring stone cross formations, and travel to the special location in the park to search for your own 'fairy stone'.

Douthat Lake is home to some big, beautiful trout.

As the forest and meadows awaken from winter, we’ll explore the trails in search of delicate spring ephemerals like trillium, bloodroot, and trout lilies.

We would like to introduce you to “Boxer” the box turtle.

Join us in discovering the hidden wonders of these temporary seasonal ponds.

A breeding colony of great blue herons is not a rookery, it is a heronry.

Come meet and greet Ranger Myrtle (our Red-Eared Slider turtle), Ranger Scout (our Western Hognose snake), and Ranger Brutus (our Copperhead snake) to discover what makes these rangers so special to Twin Lakes State Park.  Parks are for everyone.

Will you take up the bow and try your hand at the sport of archery?

Enjoy a scenic guided walk along the New River Trail. This easy one-mile round trip tour will take visitors outside one of the oldest mining operations in North America, the Austinville lead mines.

Slither on down and join the Park Ranger for an in depth look into the fascinating lives of some local reptiles.

Learn some of the trade secrets of what it takes to create the perfect 'fairy stone' that everyone is looking for.

Join Master Naturalist Kim Manion for a short walk to discover the basics of tree identification.

How much do you know about Douthat State Park's past?

Need a break from your long trip and have a little fun? Do you like being creative? We have many things to see at our Visitor Center.

Come discover the world of self-publishing!

Murders over moonshine rocked the town of Fayerdale in the 1920s and 30s, leaving a dying town remembered for tragedy rather than the mining operations that once made it a boomtown. Moonshining (illegal whiskey making) was quite prevalent in and around the Fairy Stone State Park area in the early 1900s. Jealousy, greed, and competition often led to feuds, brawls, and even killings.

Take into your heart the peace of wild things.

Step back into a tumultuous moment in American history with "Their War is Over: Prisoners, Casualties, and Their Unknown Destinations," a lantern-lit self-guided tour at the historic Hillsman House on Saturday, April 5, 2025, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Immerse yourself in the raw aftermath of the Civil War as you move through an authentic re-creation of a working field hospital, complete with makeshift cots and the hushed urgency of battlefield medicine.

'Whooo' will hear 'whooo' first?

Join astronomy volunteers as they share the stories written in the night sky.

Take a 4-hour guided tour through Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and False Cape State Park!

Step back in time and experience the daily life of a Civil War soldier at High Bridge Trail State Park.

Join a ranger, enjoy Big Meadow Trail, and learn about the natural history of Westmoreland State Park.

On the first Sunday of every month, our Self-care Sunday Series invites you to join in on various activities specially created to help us engage with the beautiful surroundings of Powhatan State Park.

Fun-ji, fun-gi, fun-gee?

Bows and arrows have been a part of human society for thousands of years and used for both survival and sport.

We all enjoy a yummy meal and that’s the same for our resident snake that lives here in our Visitor Center.

Robin Hood, Katniss Everdeen, Hawkeye, fictional archers with real world skills.

Looking for that perfect selfie spot?

Walk in the footsteps of moonshiners of decades gone by.

Join professional outdoor instructor Tim MacWelch to learn about the remarkable springtime wild edible and medicinal plants of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Grab your journal and come on down to the park and try your hand at a new skill - Nature Journaling!

Explore the Chesapeake Bay through the animals that live in it!

Learn the legend behind the naturally occurring stone cross formations, and travel to the special location in the park to search for your own 'fairy stone'.

Do you know how many common "weeds" have historic use as food and medicine?

Enjoy a rustic wagon ride through the park as we look for signs of spring!

Of all the mammals, opossums are the most misunderstood. They are fascinating creatures with very unique characteristics.

Robin Hood, Katniss Everdeen, Hawkeye, fictional archers with real world skills.

Practice your detective skills by uncovering snakes hidden in images of their habitat, and discover how best to avoid those with venom.

Ready, set, crawl, to join General Raphael, our non-releasable rescue eastern box turtle, as we explore more about her and the animal friends she shares her habitat with.

Learn some of the trade secrets of what it takes to create the perfect 'fairy stone' that everyone is looking for.

We can tell a great deal about an animal’s adaptations by looking at their skins and skulls.

Did you know there was once a thriving Boom Town located where our lake is today?

Step back in time under the flicker of firelight as we explore the intertwined stories of two soldiers whose lives converged outside the town of Farmville during the Appomattox Campaign.

With over two thousand acres, the park has a wide variety of life in the wetlands and woods.

Got a little explorer who’s beyond crawling, but isn’t ready to hike with the Kindergarten siblings?

Join us for a special guided battle walk commemorating the 160th anniversary of the Battles of High Bridge and the fighting around Farmville.

The Fairfield Foundation opens the Timberneck house for free walk-in tours every Tuesday.

Are all snakes venomous?

Make the outdoors your classroom!  Schedule a field trip at Shenandoah River State Park!

This is a self-guided program for the whole family to enjoy.

Calling all Junior Rangers!

Take a Walk on the Wild Side with this monthly series of true nature walks!

A new discovery awaits your family with Sky Meadows' Discovery Backpacks.

The Visitor Center at Sailor's Creek Battlefield Historical State Park offers a museum filled with treasured artifacts discovered over the years where the last major fight of the American Civil War in Virginia occurred on April 6, 1865.

Tours of the Hillsman House, a National Historic Landmark, are available to the public by request.

A Self-Guided Driving Tour of Sailor's Creek Battlefield is available to visitors year-round from sunrise to sunset.

Sailor's Creek Battlefield offers six, self-guided Hiking Trails with historic markers for the public to explore year round during daylight hours (sunrise to sunset).

Join us on a real or virtual hike through Claytor Lake State Park as we take a closer look at some of the beautiful native trees.

Stop by the fishing area behind Howe House to check out our EnChroma color blind scenic viewer.

Earn your junior ranger patch through a variety of programs and fun family activities.  Visit the park office, gift shop, or contact station for a copy of our Junior Ranger booklet, or you can download it from the link below.

Request a ranger to give your family or group a chance to engage in activities not otherwise available in our park.

Did you know that Haven Howe was an early advocate for environmental reform in Virginia? Participate in person or virtually as we examine the fine craftsmanship of the Howe House and learn of its builder, inhabitants, and history.

Contribute to citizen science by helping us create a time lapse of this mysterious site.

Go on a hiking adventure with Track Trails!

Take a hike back in time by visiting our tour points located at the same location as our collection of photos and videos from past years at Claytor Lake State Park and Claytor Lake.

Find out what it takes to be a ranger at Sky Meadows State Park.

Experience geocaching at Sky Meadows State Park with three park-themed caches.

Put on your boots and take your class outdoors with our new teacher-led Outdoor Educator Backpack.

Help us keep our trails beautiful.

Belle Isle State Park has some great activities that you can do on your own schedule.

Belle Isle State Park is looking for the next generation of ranger, are you ready to give it a try?

Discover the different habitats Sky Meadows has to offer on our Kids in Park's TRACK Trail!

Whether you are a teacher, homeschool instructor, club sponsor, or anything in between, we are inviting you to plan your groups' next field trip to Fairy Stone State Park.

No matter your role—teacher, homeschool instructor, club sponsor, or beyond—we invite you to plan your group’s next field trip to Twin Lakes State Park.

To arrange a ranger-led field trip for your school, homeschool group, youth organization or daycare; complete and submit a Field Trip Registration Form.

Be you a teacher, camp counselor, homeschool instructor, or troop leader, you are invited to schedule your group's next field trip or educational program with Widewater State Park!

Make York River State Park your destination for field education and outdoor discoveries.  We offer hikes and netting programs that highlight fresh water and estuarine ecosystems as well as coastal woodlands to enhance Standards of Learning requirements.  Canoe and kayak trips are available from May until the end of September, weather conditions apply.  Contact our Park Interpreters at (757)566-8523 or email john.gresham@dcr.virginia.gov or zach.robertson@dcr.virginia.gov to help plan your trip.

Are you looking for a great activity for the kids that is both fun and educational?

James River State Park is teeming with hidden gems, from plants and animals to minerals and historic artifacts.

Are you curious about that songbird flitting through the bushes outside your cabin?

Geocaching combines GPS technology with nature to provide adventure for treasure hunters like you all over the world!

Not able to attend a ranger-led program?

Enjoy a self-guided tour as you walk down to see the Natural Tunnel.

As you explore the Wilderness Road Blockhouse and the surrounding area, discover what makes this building so unique as well as what was commonly used on the frontier for survival during the 18th Century.

Stop by the Visitor Center and pick up a copy of a self-guided brochure on the “Common Trees of Virginia,” or download it online.

Introduced by the National Parks, B.A.R.K.